Gold Coast Suns chairman Tony Cochrane is not one to underestimate what he has achieved in the game.
Since he took over at the fledgling club in 2016, Cochrane has not been one to shy away from the seemingly constant derision directed at the Suns.
Cochrane, who finishes his role after the side’s Round 1 match against Sydney, admits the negativity aimed at the Suns by the Melbourne media in the early days had him immediately on the attack.
“I was just completely blown away, particularly by the Melbourne media, and their ferocious attack that the Suns won’t last, we’re going to be history, that this is a waste of money, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera,” Cochrane said on SENQ Breakfast.
“I guess I’m one of those blokes, I pad up and put the helmet on and you better bowl fast at me because I’ll give you back just as much as you give me.”
While Cochrane admits the AFL has had a strong hand in keeping things afloat on the Gold Coast, he expects that the club will be able to stand strong without assistance in the foreseeable future.
The outspoken leader also gushed over the fact the Suns can now boast a 20,000-strong membership base, implicating Victorian powerhouse Collingwood with a cheeky drive-by aimed at the footy-centric media in Melbourne.
“The AFL investment has been immense, it’s certainly there for another 15 years if they need it. I suspect they won’t, I suspect in the next 8-10 years they’ll be standing on their own two feet,” he added.
“We’re in great shape and we’ve just announced two or three big new sponsorship deals with blue-chip companies. We’ve got a massive announcement next week on a brand new multi-sponsorship deal with an absolute blue-chip company.
“We’ve reached that critical mass stage where for the last three or four years we’ve had a number of players from other clubs seeking out how could they come to us. You know when you get to that phase you’ve actually turned that corner and you’ve got some real chance to build and grow.
“Our membership base keeps growing. We’re now over 20,000-odd members. Again the Melbourne media used to beat the hell out of us over that. As I pointed out to them, quite cheekily on my behalf I might add, it took Collingwood 60 years to get 20,000 members.
“That went down well.”
Membership numbers aside, Cochrane sees on-field success on the horizon for Stuart Dew’s men.
“The one proviso, because it’s the consistent proviso in sport of every description, is barring having a good run with injury this year I’m very confident the Suns will crack finals for the first time this year,” he said further.
“We’ve got a very, very good side, a very professional football department and I think we’re going to be, along with the (Brisbane) Lions, very competitive football teams this year.”
The Suns enjoyed their best season in 2022, winning 10 games with a percentage of 102.8.
The stability of the club is a key factor towards Cochrane’s decision to stand down as chairman.